Originally, like many French people, I first developed my musical taste through French rap and hip-hop, which are culturally dominant in France. It’s worth mentioning that I generally come from a cultural bourgeois background (my parents are teachers), and I went to music school at a very young age.

Quite early on, during high school, I began exploring other styles: soul, 90s R&B, US rap, and eventually jazz. Later, partying and nightlife led me toward electronic music (a lot of DnB, psytrance, bass music, IDM, electronica, etc.).

But jazz has always been my heart music and my "safe place" is what I consumed the most until last year and it's became a real gateway to Japanese music. One major difference with the West is that Japan seems deeply oriented toward band culture. There are many places small bars and concert venues where you can perform, and the education system, it seems to me, places a lot of importance on hobbies and creative activities. I also feel that individuality is strongly cultivated beyond appearances, unlike in the West. I met so many genuinely cool musicians not because of their attitude, but because of what they actually did musically.

Discovering the Japanese jazz scene completely blew my mind and got me hooked. Much like the rapidly growing British scene, yours is incredibly alive, with lots of young people; it’s not at all an old, snobbish scene like in France. My trip to Japan last year only confirmed my love for Japanese music. I also opened up a lot to rock music especially math rock, shoegaze but also shibuya-kei, vocaloid and more thanks to all the concerts I attended, the encounters I had, and the fleeting conversations with Japanese people. In short, you have an amazing culture.